Integrated circuit (IC) technologies are constantly being improved. Such improvements frequently involve scaling down device geometries to achieve lower fabrication costs, higher device integration density, higher speeds, and better performance. Along with the advantages realized from reducing geometry size, improvements are being made directly to the IC devices. One such IC device is an image sensor device. An image sensor device includes a pixel array for detecting light and recording intensity (brightness) of the detected light. The pixel array responds to the light by accumulating a charge—the more light, the higher the charge. The charge can then be used (for example, by other circuitry) to provide a color and brightness that can be used for a suitable application, such as a digital camera. Common types of pixel grids include a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor or complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) device.
A CIS device typically includes a light-sensing region within a semiconductor material that transfers energy from photons into electrical energy. The light-sensing region is typically formed in a semiconductor material through an implantation process to form either a p-i-n junction or a p-n junction. The semiconductor material in which the light-sensing region is formed is usually partially made of germanium in addition to silicon. The efficiency at which the CIS device operates is affected by the characteristics of the semiconductor material in which the light-sensing region is formed. The performance of the CIS device can also be affected by the recombination of the electrons with the defects at the surface, such as dangling bonds. It is desirable to improve the operation efficiency and the performance of the CIS device.